Velo View Bike Tours

Type:

Company

Description

All-inclusive bike vacations, three-day weekends, and one-day field trips. Based in Austin and Chattanooga with rides all over the country.

SHANNON BURKE, founder and director of Velo View Bike Tours, attributes his love for cycling to his wife, Celeste, who not only introduced him to the sport but also took him on his first bike vacation. Already an avid traveler, Shannon found the bike vacation to be the perfect pace to see the world, providing the same intimate connection with the landscape found in hiking, while at the same time allowing so much more ground to be covered!

Soon after taking that first bike tour, Shannon was planning custom private bike vacations. As a professional municipal planner, the organization came naturally, and it wasn’t long before he made the shift to the bike tour business full-time. Shannon named the business VELO VIEW as a tribute to the unique way the world is seen from the saddle of your bike. Promoting and sharing that perspective is what Velo View Bike Tours is all about.

Since the founding of Velo View in 2012, we've enjoyed thousands of miles of incredible scenery with guests from all over the country. While continuing to expand the range of our tours, the business has intentionally stayed small, focusing on a more personalized experience with small groups rather than pursuing high turnover. Our guest-to-guide ratio (no more than 4:1) is still the best in the industry, and our attention to detail is second to none.

That's why 100% of respondents in our post-tour survey have given us the highest rating possible for overall experience. And that's also why so many of them continue to join us each year for more adventures on the bike. The vast majority of our business is comprised of repeat guests!

DAN PEDROZA runs the Texas branch of Velo View Bike Tours, leading our West Texas Bike Tours, our Texas Bike Retreats, and our Day Trips out of Austin. With a highly successful background in automotive repair (along with 15 years of car racing!), Dan understands that customer service is about building relationships and attending to details on an individual basis, an approach that fits perfectly with Velo View's focus on personalized attention.

In addition to his problem-solving skills and personable demeanor, Dan is also a strong bike racer, currently competing as a Cat 2 in Mountain Biking and a Cat 3 in Cyclocross. But the bike is more than just another racing vehicle for Dan; it's the ticket to a whole new way of seeing the world. "Life on the bike truly is an experience that transforms the body and soul into a more serene and appreciable lifestyle. The air smells cleaner, food tastes better and the world around you really seems to move to a different beat that everyone should experience in their lifetime."

Sand Mountain is more of a plateau, which means after you do the hard work of getting up there, you'll be able to enjoy miles of relatively smooth sailing. Of course, getting to the ... moretop is half the fun, with a beautiful climb through the trees preceded by a ride along Nickajack Lake. And did we mention the screaming descent back down off the mountain?! This ride has it all!

DISTANCE & DIFFICULTY: 41 miles, Challenging Climbing (3000 feet)

RIDE START & FINISH: We'll meet you in downtown Chattanooga and drive you in the Velo View van approximately 20 minutes to the ride start southwest of Chattanooga.

DURATION: Approximately 5 hours including drive time to & from the ride start.

Separated from Chattanooga by Signal Mountain, the Sequatchie Valley is one of the most picturesque valleys in Tennessee. In addition to the beautiful scenery, the farm roads on this ... moreroute allow for miles of cycling without serious climbing! We offer a short and a long version of this beautiful ride.

While not as well-known as Lookout Mountain, the Raccoon Mountain climb provides every bit the same challenge, with arguably even better scenery and less traffic. At the top of the ... moreclimb is a TVA lake, an usual site for a mountaintop. But more than the man-made lake, the reward for the climb is a fantastic view of the Tennessee River Gorge. And of course, the descent makes the climb well worth the effort!

Chattanooga Lookout Mountain With its storied history and towering presence over Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain has an irresistible draw for cyclists. It also has some steep slopes! ... moreBut for those up for the challenge, this iconic mountain makes for a memorable ride with a rewarding view at the top and an exhilarating descent back down to the bottom!

DISTANCE & DIFFICULTY: 27 miles, Challenging Climbing (2600 feet)

RIDE START & FINISH: We'll meet you in south Chattanooga and ride directly from there.

McLemore Cove While Chickamauga is understandably known for its famous battleground north of town, the riding south of town has a charm all its own, boasting some of the best rural ... morescenery in the Chattanooga area. The loop does involve some climbing, but the reward for the effort is fantastic back-country scenery on all sides as we ride in a spectacular valley just east of Cloudland Canyon State Park.

DISTANCE & DIFFICULTY: 28 miles, Moderate Climbing (1300 feet). PLEASE NOTE that this ride can be shortened to 23 miles or lengthened to 34 miles.

RIDE START & FINISH: We'll meet you in downtown Chattanooga and drive you in the Velo View van approximately 35 minutes to the ride start at the Pigeon Mountain Grill (which also makes for a great ride finish if you're hungry!)

DURATION: Approximately 4 hours including drive time to & from the ride start.

With our guided backroad rides, there's no need for cue sheets and no need to worry about getting lost or stranded. You'll be in good hands from start to finish and you'll be guaranteed not to waste your time on roads that are boring or loaded with traffic!

Each of the following rides can be customized to meet your needs, including start times, distances, beginning & end points, and post-ride meals. We can also arrange to have van support for your group during the ride for an additional fee.

For Lookout Mountain, we will simply meet you in town and ride directly from there. All of the other rides begin and end out of town, which means we can either drive you out there from downtown Chattanooga or meet you at the ride start, whichever is easiest and most convenient for you.

Pricing varies depending on how many people are in your party. Bring your friends and the price goes down!

Our prices do not include rental bikes, but we would be happy to provide rental bikes for you (including electric-assist bikes!), with rental rates dependent on the type of bike requested.